Road striping machine with electronic sight



Aug. 20, 1963 3,101,175

ROAD STRIPING MACHINE WITH ELECTRONIC SIGHT FIG.2,

R I. w. .m n.. L n. lu' E fr wm L R m. VM a M w1 flvL Il R- ATTORNEY United States Patent "il s..

3,101,175 ROAD STRINNG MACHEJE WITH ELECTRONIC SlGHT Carl F. Brown, lr., Huntingdon, Pa., assigner to Wald industries, lne., Huntingdon, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 841,868 7 Claims. (Ci. 239-150) The present invention relates to a road striping Inachine, and more particularly to a road striping machine in which a closed television circuit is utilized for guidmg the machine.

The application of guide stripes to roadways 1s now common practice, and over the years equipment has been developed to enable the various stripes necessary to be applied to the roads. Typically, the road striping equipment comprises a vehicle such as a truck, which truck supports suitable tanks for paint and compressed air, as Well as an air compressor. The truck also supports a spray gon which is supplied from the paint and compressed air tanks and is directed `downwardly so as to apply or deposit a stripe on to the roadway.

The positioning of the spray gun is accomplished by steering the truck, and thus the place on the roadway where the stripe is applied depends upon the steering of the truck, and to aid the driver of the truck to steer it to properly place the stripe on the roadway, it has been the practice to provide a pointer, carried by a boom, that extends forwardly Ifrom the front of the truck. Such boom and pointer arrangements constitute the guide device which is most commonly used in practice today.

Other guide devices have been suggested by the workers in the art, but only the above-mentioned boom and pointer apparatus have actually gained wide commercial acceptance.

While the boom and pointer construction offer advantages over the other known gui-de devices, it is nevertheless true that in order to position the pointer suiiiciently far ahead of the driver of the truck that it may adequately serve its purpose, the boom has to be of considerable length. These booms rnust, therefore, be moved to a carrying position for movement of the truck to and from the job site, and in the carrying position there is some v obstruction to the view of the driver. Further, these booms,when in use, rest on a swiveled front support Wheel. As this wheel often vibrates during the spraying operations, there results misalignrnent of the boom and pointer and inaccuracy in the laying of the paint stripe. ln addition to the inaccuracies inherent in the boom, the boom, in operative position does constitute somewhat of a traic hazard, `since approaching vehicles do not appreciate that the boom is extending in fron-t of the road striping truck, and since the boom must enter an intersection ahead of the vehicle itself.

It will be understood that the booms are primarily used where an existing guide stripe has become worn and therefore partially obliterated, and it is desired to repaint the stripe in order to make it more visible. There is also presented, in road striping, the problem of laying a stripe initially on the road and in properly positioning this initial stripe. Equipment heretofore suggested for the application of a new stripe has Inot been entirely satisfactory, as it has required either a relatively slowr movement of the paint striping Imachine, or has required that a guide marking be applied to the roadway to serve the same function asrthe partially obliterated stripe above referred to.

An object of the present invention is to provide a road striping-machine having a highly accurate guide device.

Another object of the present invention is the provision nr A.

ICC

of a road striping machine having a guidance arrangement that oliers no impediment or obstruction during either road striping operations or during transit to and from the job site.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a road striping machine wherein the guiding arrangement does not constitute, in any way, a traffic or safety hazard. y

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a road striping machine that will enable the painting of an initial highway guide stripe with accuracy and rapidity. n f

Other objects andthe nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a road striping machine in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the road striping machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a representation of a television receiver forming part of the road striping machine of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 isa plan View of another embodiment of a road striping machine in accordance with the present invention and particularly adapted to the application of an initial stripe on a roadway.

FIG. 5 is a representation of an image produced on a television receiver forming part of the invention of FIG. 4, and showing the image produced when the road striping machine is out of proper position.

FIG. v6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and illustrating the television receiver when the machine is in proper position.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to design-ate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. l a road striping machine Il() comprising a truck 11 hav-ing a cab 12' thereon. Truck 1,1 also has, in known manner, an air compressor, an air tan-k and a paint tankv thereon, not shown. The control box 13 may be pinovided, and lfromy the control box 13 there extend suitable air and pain-t lines 14 and 16 to a spray gun 17. Rearwardly of paint spray gun 17 there is positioned a bead dispenser '18, also supplied by-conduits Y19 and 20 trom control box 13. i

The spray gun v1'7v and bead dispenser 118 are suitably supported on a carriage 2l, which is supported from the truck 1l, Aby a support tube Q92 and a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 23.

ln the cab 12 or" truck [lil there may be seen the usual steering wheel 25, and forwardly of the steering wheel 25 there is a television receiver 26. Television receiver 26 is connected with a television camera 27, which is supported on the'truck 4l1, and may conveniently be supported on tube 22. Television carriera 2'7 vis directed at the roadway, in the preferred embodiment slightly ahead of vand to the left of the truck 1d, although itwill be understood that the television camera 27' may be otherwise directed as requirements dictate.

Refer-ring now to FIG. 2, it may be seen that the television camera 27 is focused upon the stripe S` which will be understood to be an old, partially obliterated guide stripe. form partyof a closed television circuit 28, shown diagrammatically F'IG. y2.

In FIG. 3 there may be seen the television receiver 26 having lines 30 and 31 thereon. The lines 30l and 3'1 are in spaced parallel relation on the screen on? receiver 26, and extend generally vertically on either side ot the vertical middle line thereof. There is also shown in FIG. 3 the image produced onscreen 26 when the machine lli is properly oriented in relation to the old stripe Television camera 27 and television receiver 2o,

E S, there being shown an image 32 lof the stripe S, equally spaced between the lines Sil and 3l, and parallel thereto.

In the operation `of the road striping machine lil, the truck lil is steered along and adjacent to the stripe S which is to be repainted. The television camera 27 is focused on the stripe S closely adjacent the truck `l'l, and transmits an image or" the stripe S, which is reproduced on the television receiver 26. By using this Iimage of the stripe S, the driver of the truck lll may so steer the truck that paint sprayed from spray gun i7 will be deposited on to the old stripe yS with a high degree of accuracy. The driver of truck il will be able to repaint the strip-e S, with the noted high accuracy, whether the truck 1l is traveling over a road that is either straight or curved, and whether the road is relatively smooth or rough. Errors in the application of the paint from spray gun i7 are substantially avoided and so the desired result of a repainting of the old line is readily accomplished. Since the television screen 2.6 is directly forward of the steering wheel `25, the driver will have no problem oi lining up a relatively remo-te pointer with the old stripe S, and may more easily attend to the various unctions which are necessary during the spraying operation.

For initially painting the stripe on the roadway, such as 'on a newly completed roadway or on a roadway in which the `old stripe has become too faint to serve as a guide, there is provided the road striping machine 40 shown in FIGS. 4-6. Road striping machine 40 has, in general, the same paint spraying equipment as the road striping machine .10, and comprising a spray gun 17. On

road striping machine 40 there are provided a first television camera 41 and a second television camera 42, which are nfocused `on the left and right edges d3 and 44, respectively, `ott a road R. The television cameras 41 and d2 comprise part of a closed television circuit 415, circuit i5 also comprising a television receiver 46. The television cameras di and i2 are shown directed forwardly and diagonally :of the road striping machine 40, but it will be understood that this position is exemplary only.

On the receiver 46, in FIG. 5, there may be seen an image 47 of road edge 43, as received by camera 41, and spaced therefrom there may be seen an image d8 of road edge 44 received by camera '42. Theseimages 47' and d8 are shown in FIG. 5 -to be spaced from each other, and thus indicate to the driver :of the road striping machine lto that the machine lil is not in the proper position relative to the edges 43 and 44. By properly steering the machine 4G, the images 47 and 48 may be caused to coincide, as shown in FG. 6.

The road striping machine 40 provides for the application of a new stripe in proper position on a roadway on which there is no guidance for the stripe, either by previously laid -guide marks, or by an old, partially obliterated stiipe. The stripe laid by the machine 40 will be accurately located on the roadway R, and may be placed with relatively great rapidity, to thereby reduce the cost of the stripe application by increasing the length oi stripe that will be applied in -a given time.

There have been provided road striping machines utilizing closed television circuits to enable a stripe to be applied to a road with safety and accuracy. The machines, in accordance with the invention, may either use a previously laid stripe kas a guide line, or may, alternatively, apply a stripe with accuracy wherethere is no such guide line.

yIt will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from. the spirit of lthe invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specication, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A road striping machine :for placing a painted band on a roadway comprising a steerable vehicle, means on said vehicle ttor applying a band of paint on the roadway supporting the vehicle, a television camera carried oy the vehicle and ldirected towards the roadway adjacent the vehicle to thereby receive an image of the band on the roadway, and a television receiver positioned on said vehicle' to be viewed by the driver thereof, said television camera an television receiver being parts of a closed television circuit, said television receiver having a pair of igen- `orally vertically extending parallel Ilines thereon, whereby said vehicle may be steered to accurately repaint a band on the roadway.

2. A road striping machine comprising a steerable vehicle, means on said vehicle for applying a band :of paint on `the roadway supporting the vehicle, a television camera carried by the vehicle and directed towards the roadway adjacent the vehicle to thereby receive an ima-ge of a band `on the roadway, and a television receiver positioncd on said vehicle to be viewed by the driver thereof, said television camera and television receiver being parts of a closed television circuit, said television receiver having a pair of parallel lines thereon, whereby said vehicle may be steered to accurately repaint a band on the roadway.

3. A road striping machine comprising a steerable vehicle, means on said vehicle for applying a band of paint on the roadway supporting the vehicle, a television camera carried by the "vehicleV and directed towards the roadway adjacent the vehicle to thereby receive an image of a band on the roadway, and a television receiver positioned `on said vehicle to be viewed by the driver thereof, said television camera and television receiver being parts lof a closed television circuit, said television receiver having Iguide means on the screen thereof, whereby said vehicle may be steered to accurately repaint a band on the roadway.

4. A road striping machine comprising a steerable vehicle, means ion said vehicle for applying a band of paint on the roadway supporting the vehicle, a pair of television cameras carried by the vehicle and directed at the edges of the roadway which is to have a paint band applied thereto, a television receiver positioned on said vehicle 'to be viewediby the driver thereof, and closed circuit television means comprising said two television cameras and said television receiver for impressing the images received by said cameras on said receiver, said television cameras tilted at such an angle so as to place the images .of the edges `of the roadway generally in the center oit said television receiver when the means for applying the band oi paint is center-ed in the roadway, whereby said vehicle may be steered in accordance with the images `on said television receiver to apply a paint band on the roadway.

5. A road striping machine comprising a steerable vehicle, means fon said vehicle for applying a band of paint -on the roadway supporting the vehicle, a pair of television cameras carried by the vehicle and directed at the edges of the roadway which is to have a paint yhand applied thereto, a television receiver on said vehicle, and closed circuit television means comprising said two television cameras and said television receiver itor superimposing both images received by said cameras together on said receiver, whereby said vehicle may be steered in accordance with the images ion said television receiver to apply a paint stripeon the roadway.

6. A road striping machine comprising a steerable vehicle, paint spraying means on the side of said vehicle for applying a band of paint ion the roadway supporting the vehicle, a pair of television cameras carried by the vehicle and directed at the edges of the roadway which is to have a paint band applied thereto, one of said cameras attached to the side of said vehicle mounting the paint spraying means and the other of said cameras attached to the other side of said vehicle, a line along fthe direction of aim of said camera on the side of said vehicle mounting the paint spraying means forming a larger angle with a lin-e through the longitudinal axis of said vehicle than the angle between a line thi-rough the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and a line alom-g the direction of aim of `said camera fon the other side of said vehicle, and a television receiver positioned on said vehicle to be viewed by the driver thereof, said television receiver ,forming a closed television circuit with said cameras, and said television cameras tilted at such an angle so as to place the images osf the edges lof the roadway lgenerally in center of said television receiver when the paint spraying means is centered in the lroadway whereby said vehicle may be steered to accurately apply a paint band on the roadway.

7. 'Ihe road striping machine of claim `6, iurther characterized by said television receiver having circuitry to impress images from both of said came-ras on said receiver at the same time.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A ROAD STRIPING MACHINE COMPRISING A STEERABLE VEHICLE, MEANS ON SAID VEHICLE FOR APPLYING A BAND OF PAINT ON THE ROADWAY SUPPORTING THE VEHICLE, A TELEVISION CAMERA CARRIED BY THE VEHICLE AND DIRECTED TOWARDS THE ROADWAY ADJACENT THE VEHICLE TO THEREBY RECEIVE AN IMAGE OF A BAND ON THE ROADWAY, AND A TELEVISION RECEIVER POSITIONED ON SAID VEHICLE TO BE VIEWED BY THE DRIVER THEREOF, SAID TELEVISION CAMERA AND TELEVISION RECEIVER BEING PARTS OF A CLOSED TELEVISION CIRCUIT, SAID TELEVISION RECEIVER HAVING GUIDE MEANS ON THE SCREEN THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID VEHICLE MAY BE STEERED TO ACCURATELY REPAINT A BAND ON THE ROADWAY. 